Push to deport extremist refugees from Australia in wake of Bourke St horror

Extremists threatening lives will be kicked out of Australia under toughened rules which will allow the government to easily deport residents before they become citizens. But the state’s peak Muslim body said Friday’s terrorist attack had nothing to do with Islam, and condemned political leaders for “exploiting dreadful events”.

Victorian premier Dan Andrews has backed the federal government in a tough-line approach to boot out ­extremists threatening lives.

A new debate over citizenship has erupted in the wake of the actions of Somali-born Islamic terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali during the Bourke St attack on Friday.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Sunday left the way open to toughening up rules to allow the government to more easily deport residents before they become ­citizens.

“I’ve been very open about the cancellation of visas, the numbers have ramped up, because there are some people who should not go on to become Australian citizens,’’ he said.

MELBOURNE GRIEVES FOR SISTO

WHY ARE WE GIVING TERRORISTS REFUGE?

Police in Bourke St after the terrorist attack. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Somali-born Islamic terrorist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was shot by police. Picture: @chrismacheras/Twitter

“The law applies differently, ­obviously, to someone who has ­Australian citizenship, by conferral or births, as opposed to someone here on a temporary status because they are the holder of a particular visa category.”

Premier Daniel Andrews defended federal Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton’s comments that the Muslim community had a responsibility to dob-in those who exhibiting risk signals.

“All of us have a responsibility that if we see someone who is caught up in this evil ideology then we should step up, I don’t think that is an inappropriate comment to make,’’ Mr Andrews said.

“It would be a failure of leadership to pretend that these threats are not true, and a failure of leadership to think slogans and rhetoric would keep us safe.”

The Islamic Council of Victoria has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for implying the Islamic Community was not doing enough to stop terrorism and called on leaders to not cynically exploit the attack for ‘politically point scoring.’

“I have not seen that occur,’’ Mr Andrews said.

He said he had seen comments which were critical of statements Mr Morrison had made and he had supported.

“Part of living in a democratic state and nation is that people can have views but what is not allowed is the violent extremism, terrible and heinous act we saw on Friday.

“For my part I am very grateful with a number of community leaders, with lots of leaders not all are faith, for their partnership in countering violent extremism.”

When asked by the Herald Sun, Mr Andrews said on Sunday: ­“Deportation and the cancellation of visas are matters for the Commonwealth government, but we certainly support this action being taken against extremists and those who wish to do us harm.”

Shire Ali’s passport was cancelled in 2015 over fears he planned to visit Syria. ASIO was also tracking his movements, concerned about his behaviour and associations.

Federal and state governments and agencies are now expected to consider bolstering early inter­vention and deradicalisation programs in the wake of the attack, in which city restaurant legend Sisto Malaspina was killed.

Police continued their investigation into the horror that shook Victoria on Friday.

Investigators are using the city’s CCTV network to trace the killer’s approach to the city.

A deserted Melbourne CBD after the incident. Picture: Ian Currie

Shire Ali’s phone records will also be examined to see who he had been in contact with and if there were any other threats outstanding.

Mr Dutton said parliament also needed to pass the Morrison government’s encryption laws to give law enforcement agencies a better chance of thwarting terror attacks.

Mr Dutton on Sunday warned it was “impossible” for authorities to catch every single terrorist without the help of tip-offs, especially when someone grabs “a knife from a kitchen drawer” and “a couple of gas bottles from a service station, or from Bunnings”.

“That is why it is important for people to provide information as soon as possible so that we can try to stop any of these attacks taking place,” Mr Dutton said.

With ASIO now having “400-plus” active investigations and persons of interest, Mr Dutton said police needed the help of Aussies to prevent attacks — particularly when attackers were acting alone. He urged all Australians, but “particularly the Islamic community”, to report any suspicious behaviour to police.

Sisto Malaspina was killed in the horrific incident. Picture: David Crosling

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also locked in a war of words with Australian Muslim leaders over his remarks singling out radical Islam in the wake of the attack.

Australian Muslim leaders have united to condemn Friday’s terror attack, calling the incident a “national tragedy”.

But Islamic leaders have slammed Mr Morrison for his comments at the weekend, accusing him of using the incident “for political gain”.

At a press conference on Saturday, the PM said he could not speak about Friday’s attack without naming the threat of “radical, violent, extremist Islam” behind it.

The Australian National Imams Council said on Sunday: “It is extremely disappointing in such difficult times and during a national tragedy, when Australians of all faiths and backgrounds should be called upon to unite and stand together against any form of extremism and violence, to see our nation’s leader politicising this incident and using it for political gain.”

This morning, the state’s peak Muslim body agreed, saying Friday’s attack had nothing to do with Islam, and it has condemned political leaders for “exploiting dreadful events for cynical political or ideological point scoring”.

The Islamic Council of Victoria said Shire Ali had complained of being delusional and agitated for weeks before Friday’s attack.

“(T)here is no evidence that this individual’s religious beliefs were a causal factor,” an ICV statement said.

“The religion of Islam had nothing to do with the events of last Friday. To insinuate otherwise is absurd.”

The ICV said criticised comments by Mr Morrison in which he said religious leaders “must be proactive, they must be alert, and they must call this out …for what it is.”

“The main problem with this statement is that it infers that Muslim religious leaders must do more to prevent such crimes, even though in this case, the perpetrator was known to security authorities for a long time.”

On the weekend, federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said there was a bipartisan political desire “to do everything we can to oppose the violent Islamic extremist message which has become prevalent in a very small part of a radicalised minority”.

“One of our best weapons in dealing with these radicalised violent troublemakers... is to work with the rest of the Muslim community, just as we work with all our communities to apprehend and detect the very few who would seek to harm everyone else,” he said.

But the ICV called “upon our political leaders and those in positions of influence to stop exploiting dreadful events such as these for cynical political or ideological point scoring”.

“The ICV sends its condolences and sympathies to the victims of this despicable act, and shares the shock and sadness being experienced by the entire community,” the statement said.

HOW DID TERRORIST SLIP THROUGH CRACKS?

The Bourke St terrorist slipped through the cracks of spy agencies, despite his movements and electronic device use being monitored.

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was one of more than 400 “persons of interest” being monitored by ASIO after he was investigated for his ­association with other individuals linked to terrorism.

It can be revealed the ­Somalia-born Shire Ali was the subject of electronic monitoring in the wake of his passport being cancelled in 2015 over fears he planned to travel to Syria.

The Herald Sun understands Shire Ali was monitored on his phone, email and social media after he caught the attention of police and intelligence agencies in 2015.

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali slipped through the cracks despite being on a watch list.

It remains unclear if the high-level electronic monitoring continued until Friday’s attack, but a source said Shire Ali had shown no signs of the level of radicalisation that would have justified ­ongoing surveillance.

“The level of resourcing just to monitor one of these guys is immense.

“If someone is not raising red flags through their electronic ­activities, it is unlikely they are going to be watched as closely,” a source said.

Melbourne continued to mourn city icon Sisto Malaspina, of Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, who had gone to help after Shire Ali’s vehicle caught fire before the attack.

As two other victims ­recover after being injured in the knife attack, police stepped up the hunt for clues.

Police will also use CCTV cameras around the city to map Shire Ali’s journey into the CBD and see if he had been scoping out the area.

Police sources have told the Herald Sun there were no reports of alarming behaviour, such as erratic driving, before the incident.

Police will use CCTV to track the attacker’s journey to the city. Picture: Nick Weeks

Shire Ali was known to police and smoked drugs ­including cannabis, but his ­offences were considered lower level.

Mobile phone footage shot by bystanders will also prove vital.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defended police and intelligence services when asked why it ­appeared Shire Ali wasn’t being monitored.

“Where there is not (that information), where someone makes a spur-of-the-moment decision — under the influence of drugs or ­alcohol — the police can’t contemplate every circumstance,” Mr Dutton said.

“Police did not have ­intelligence in relation to this person that he was about to commit an act.”

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